How I Appealed a €900 Traffic Fine from the Catalan Transit Agency (and What You Should Know)

In early March, I received a shocking €900 fine from the Servei Català de Trànsit (Catalan Transit Agency). The charge? Failing to identify the driver of my privately owned vehicle for a previous traffic violation. But here’s the twist: I was never properly notified about that earlier request. Like many people, I didn’t find out until it was too late—the original notice had been published in the BOE (Spain’s official government bulletin), which I never saw.

This article walks through the exact steps I took, what I learned along the way, and what I recommend to others who might be facing a similar situation.

Step 1: Understanding the Fine

The €900 fine was not for speeding or parking—it was for a failure to identify the driver. Under Spanish traffic law, vehicle owners are required to respond to certain notices identifying who was driving at the time of an infraction. If you don’t, a second fine is issued, often much larger than the original.

In my case, I hadn’t responded simply because I never received the original notice. It turns out it was published in the BOE without any attempt to notify me directly at home.

Step 2: Filing an Alegación (Appeal)

I submitted an alegación on March 4, explaining that I had not received the original driver identification request and therefore could not have replied to it. The alegación is your formal right to respond to a proposed sanction before it becomes final. It temporarily freezes the process while the Servei Català de Trànsit reviews your explanation.

You can submit this online, by mail, or in person. It’s crucial to do it within the timeline indicated in the notice (usually 20 days).

Step 3: What Happens While You Wait

After filing, the fine is put on hold. You do not need to pay anything until the administration issues a decision on your alegación. No interest accrues, and the case doesn’t move to enforcement while your appeal is pending.

I waited several weeks with no reply—which is normal. The SCT can take a few months to respond.

Step 4: Possible Outcomes

Here’s what can happen next:

Your alegación is accepted: The €900 fine is canceled, and the process ends. This is ideal.
Your alegación is rejected: The fine becomes official. You’ll receive a resolution telling you how long you have to pay (usually 15 days).

Important note: For this kind of infraction, no early-payment discount applies. That means if your alegación is rejected, you’ll owe the full €900.

Step 5: Deciding Whether to Keep Fighting

If your alegación is rejected, you still have two options:

Recurso de Reposición (Administrative Re-appeal): You can request the SCT to reconsider within one month. However, this doesn’t suspend the fine, so enforcement may begin.
Contencioso-Administrativo (Court Appeal): You can go to court within two months of the resolution. Legal representation is required, and costs can be high.

In my case, I decided that I didn’t want to incur legal fees. I can afford to pay the €900 if it comes to that, but I find it excessive—and I imagine most people would struggle with a fine of that size.

My Recommendation

If you believe the notice wasn’t properly served (like me), file an alegación immediately.
Wait for the SCT’s response—it may take a couple of months.
If rejected and you don’t want legal hassles, pay the fine promptly to avoid a 20% surcharge.
If you’re passionate about fighting it further, explore the administrative or judicial options.

Final Thoughts

The system is tough and unjust, especially when it relies on BOE publication instead of proper notification. But you do have rights, and the alegación process gives you a fair shot to contest unreasonable penalties.

My Case’s Outcome

My case was decided in my favor, and the €900 fine was canceled. The correspondence was delivered by courier and I had to sign for each letter I received. In my case, they first resent the letter asking for driver identification, and a couple weeks later sent me another letter saying the €900 fine was canceled due to the facts I provided as mentioned above. That should be very encouraging to anyone in the same situation as I was in. The system really does work, and if you’re right you can appeal and have a fine canceled.